China, Taiwan electronic component makers eat away at Japan's global share

Market share fell by 11 points over 20 years as Japan focused on high-end products

Murata Manufacturing, the world leader in multilayer ceramic capacitors, seen here, is boosting its focus on low-priced products. (Source photos by Nikkei and Murata Manufacturing)

TOKYO -- Japanese electronic component manufacturers' global market share has fallen by more than 10 percentage points over the past 20 years amid the rise of Chinese and Taiwanese players, with Murata Manufacturing and others now looking to fight those rivals on their own turf.